Choosing The Best Bonsai Tree To Make

Choosing the best tree for a beginner is an important step in bonsai success!

As a beginner to bonsai, you have probably been inspired by trees that you have seen in pictures, movies, on television, or in some type of display.

The Bonsai always look so nice and beautiful, so you really want one. What do you do to find one to make for yourself?

If you have seen the particular variety you are interested in as a bonsai already, then at least you can be confident it lends itself to the training techniques necessary for you to create a beautiful bonsai. So if you know the name of the bonsai you saw, it may grow in your area. If it doesn't then you should go to a local nursery to look for a bonsai variety.

Remember, unless you have purchased a tree from a local nursery that has grown that variety themselves it should survive the local weather conditions. As with all trees, bonsai trees grow better with a greater chance of survival if grown in the right zone for that particular variety.

Choosing the best bonsai type tree, to begin with, can be half the battle of keeping your tree alive and healthy, and will make your experience of learning how to bonsai a much more enjoyable one.

My Bonsai-ShoutOut is for anyone who wants the best chance for survival of their tree is choose a variety that flourishes in your local area, trees that grow almost like weeds are good candidates. So just like the indoor Ginseng (left side picture) would be great.

So finding a good bonsai variety and getting a good bonsai class in order to help you learn how to bonsai is a great thing for you to do.

Another variety's to keep in mind is hedge type trees (Box/ buxus) that respond well to hard pruning as well as ground covers that do well in your area. Junipers and pyracantha both grow as groundcovers, but when held up with stakes until their trunks form upright really can make an exceptional bonsai.

The main thing is please choose a plant that is local, firstly you will have an abundant supply of material to work with as well as the potential to find material that has been growing for a long time and have huge potential as a bonsai.

The best beginner bonsai-type trees to start with is a Juniper. However, the Juniper is an outdoor bonsai. A great indoor bonsai is a Ficus. There are hundreds of types of Ficus and many of them are good for bonsai. Numerous varieties have small leaves, don't bother with large leaf types. Also the Ginseng is great as well.

I hope this info helps you in your bonsai needs, Randy.